Maryland returns to Comcast Center from a two-game road swing Saturday as it takes on Florida State at 3 p.m. The Terps — 3-1 in ACC play at home — are looking to avenge an 85-61 loss to the Seminoles earlier this season in Tallahassee, Fla.

• The Terrapins lead the all-time series against FSU, 29-14, including a 7-1 mark in Comcast Center. The series began in Florida State’s inaugural ACC season in 1992, when the Seminoles came away with a thrilling 91-83 overtime victory at Cole Field House.

• Junior Dez Wells continued his torrid scoring streak in the Terps’ loss at North Carolina, scoring 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting. The Raleigh, N.C. native has scored at least 18 points in four consecutive games, shooting 67 percent during that span for an average of 19.3 points/g.

• The Terps fell victim to a hot-shooting Florida State team in their first matchup on Jan. 12, when the Seminoles knocked down a season-high 16 3-point baskets. Take away the Maryland game, and FSU is averaging just five 3-pointers per game in ACC action.

• Junior Nick Faust scored 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting to lead the Terps against the ‘Noles on Jan. 12, while Dez Wells added 15 points on 9-of-10 shooting from the charity stripe. Maryland will need better production from its bench, which was outscored 44-18 in the meeting.

• Maryland is 10-1 this season when holding opponents under 70 points. The Terps are also 12-1 when shooting a higher field goal percentage than their opponent and 10-1 when leading at the half.

North Carolina Beats Maryland, 75-63
Dez Wells scored 18 points, Evan Smotrycz added 14 points and Charles Mitchell pulled down 13 rebounds as Maryland fell to North Carolina 75-63 on Tuesday night.
Brice Johnson added 19 points on 8-for-8 shooting off the bench for the Tar Heels (15-7, 5-4 Atlantic Coast Conference), who jumped to a 16-point lead in the game’s opening minutes and led the entire way. North Carolina shot 49 percent, scored 19 points off turnovers and controlled the boards to beat the Terrapins (13-10, 5-5) for the 14th time in 18 meetings.
Trailing 19-3 in the opening minutes, the Terrapins locked down on defense and held the Tar Heels without a field goal for more than four minutes. An 8-0 run propelled the Terps to a three-point deficit late in the half.

Scouting Florida State
Maryland fell to Florida State in Tallahassee earlier this season, 85-61, as the Seminoles shot the lights out with 16 three-point baskets. Subtracting its game against Maryland, FSU is averaging just five 3-pointers per game in ACC play.
The ‘Noles have gone 3-4 since defeating the Terps, including a three-game stretch of losses to Duke, NC State and Clemson.
The Seminoles currently lead the conference in total blocks (124) due to the shot blocking prowess of Boris Bojanovsky (1.9/g). Florida State is also highly efficient from the field, collectively shooting 47 percent on the season.
Florida State has three players averaging more than 12 points — Aaron Thomas (13.0 ppg), Okaro White (12.7 ppg) and Ian Miller (12.7 ppg). White also leads the team in rebounds with 6.8/g.Wells Continues Scoring Streak
Junior Dez Wells capped his fourth straight game with at least 18 points in an 18-point performance at North Carolina Tuesday. He shot 6-of-12 at the Smith Center, while also knocking down six free throws.
Wells has been on a torrid scoring pace since scoring 19 points against then-No. 20 Pittsburgh on Jan. 25, averaging 19.3 points on 67 percent shooting over the last four games.
The Raleigh, N.C. native’s best performance of the span came on Jan. 29 against Miami, when he scored all 21 of his points in the second half. Sidelined in the first half without taking a shot due to foul trouble, Wells went 7-for-7 from the field (6-for-6 FT’s) in the second half and knocked down the game-winning 3-pointer with 5.9 seconds remaining.

Statistically Speaking

Junior Evan Smotrycz has continued to shoot the ball well, shooting 55 percent (56 percent from 3-pt range) on 22-of-41 shooting over the last four games. He shot 9-of-36 (25 percent) in the previous three games.

Sophomore Jake Layman leads the Terps with 14.9 points/g on 49 percent shooting in home contests. He is also shooting a team-best 42 percent from 3-point land in Comcast Center.

Dez Wells is shooting a team-high 51 percent in Comcast, in addition to 85 percent from the free throw line (50-of-59).

Maryland is outrebounding opponents by an average margin of 8.1 rebound at home.

The Terps are 10-1 when leading at the half, and also 10-1 when holding opponents under 70 points. (see pg. 30 for all trends)

• North Carolina leads the all-time series 121-57, including a 57-16 mark at home against the Terps. The Terrapins won the inaugural ACC meeting between the teams on Dec. 18, 1954, as they pulled away for a 70-60 victory in Chapel Hill.

• The Terps mounted a 14-2 run to begin the second half and never looked back as they defeated Virginia Tech, 80-60, Saturday in Blacksburg, Va. Maryland shot over 50 percent for the second consecutive game, as Seth Allennotched a season-high seven assists in addition to 16 points.

• The matchup pits the conference’s top rebounding teams against each other, as North Carolina ranks first in the league with 41.3 rebounds per game and Maryland is second (38.2/g). The Terps are 11-4 overall and 3-1 in conference play when outrebounding their opponent.

• Junior Dez Wells has been sensational for the Terps over the last three games, averaging 19.7 points on 70 percent (19-of-27) shooting. He has shot 87 percent (20-of-23) from the charity stripe during that span.

• Head coaches Mark Turgeon and Roy Williams, who have a strong personal relationship, have met six times over the last two seasons. Junior Nick Faust is averaging 12.7 points in six career games against the Tar Heels, including three performances of 16 points or more. Dez Wells averaged 18 points on 53 percent shooting in three meetings last year.Scouting North Carolina
North Carolina (14-7, 4-4 ACC) has won three consecutive games and four of its last five since beginning 0-3 in ACC play. The Tar Heels’ four victories in conference games have come by an average of 14.3 points, including a 14-point win over NC State on Saturday. UNC has strong victories against perennial powerhouses Kentucky and Michigan State, but also fell to UAB.
Sophomore Marcus Paige leads the Heels with 16.7 points/g in a team- high 35.6 minutes/g. Paige is lethal from the free throw line, shooting a conference-best 91 percent (84-of-92).
North Carolina leads the ACC with 41.3 rebounds/g, in addition to 14.71 offensive rebounds/g. The Tar Heels are also second in the ACC in points (76.0/g), trailing only Duke (81.9/g).

Back to the ‘Wells’
Junior Dez Wells continued his incredible play with a 19-point performance at Virginia Tech, downing the Hokies on 6-of-9 shooting (7-of-8 FT’s) to lead the Terps to victory.
Wells has been on fire over the last three games, averaging 19.7 points on 70 percent (19-of-27) shooting. He has also shot 87 percent from the free throw line during that span.
His most recent performance piggybacks his spectacular display against Miami, when he scored all 21 of his points in the second half on 7-for-7 shooting. Every shot Wells took went in the basket (6-for-6 FT’s), including the game-winning 3-pointer with 5.9 seconds remaining.

Statistically Speaking

Junior Evan Smotrycz has continued to shoot the ball well, shooting 55 percent (67 percent from 3-pt range) on 16-of-29 shooting over the last three games. He shot 9-of-36 (25 percent) in the previous three games.

Sophomore Jake Layman is shooting 50 percent over his last three games, averaging 14.3 points during that span.

Dez Wells has scored in double-figures in 17 of his last 18 games, and is averaging 19.7 points on 70 percent shooting over his last three games.

Maryland has shot over 48 percent in three straight ACC games for the first time in three seasons, last accomplishing the feat during the 2010-11 season.

The Terps are 10-1 when leading at the half, and also 10-1 when holding opponents under 70 points.

A Look Back: Dec. 18, 1954
The inaugural ACC meeting between Maryland and North Carolina took place on Dec. 18, 1954, when the Terps fought to a 70-60 victory in Chapel Hill. The Baltimore Sun game recap noted “Maryland controlled the backboards and threw up a defense that chilled North Carolina…”
Bob Everett led the Terrapins with 20 points, while teammate Frank Fuqua added 14. Tar Heel star Lennie Rosenbluth, the ACC’s leading scorer at the time, was held to 15 points on five field goals.
Maryland opened a 37-16 halftime advantage, as it held off a late North Carolina flurry to secure the victory. A total of five players fouled out in the game.

Terps Cruise Past Virginia Tech
Maryland guard Dez Wells scored 19 points to lead the Terrapins to an 80-60 victory over Virginia Tech on Saturday.
Maryland (13-9, 5-4 ACC) shot 51.8 percent (29 of 56), won its second in a row and beat the Hokies for the fourth-straight time. Wells shot 6-of-9 from the floor.
Maryland got 3-pointers on its final two possessions – from Seth Allen and Jake Layman – to take a 43-35 lead at halftime.
The Terrapins mounted a 14-2 run to grab a 17-point lead and take control. Wells scored four points in the run, including a one-handed dunk that prompted a Virginia Tech timeout with 16:06 remaining. Nick Faust’s 3-pointer capped the run and gave the Terrapins a 57-40 lead with 14:51 to go.

Maryland travels to Blacksburg, Va. for the final time in ACC play Saturday at noon as it looks for its second consecutive conference victory. The Terrapins swept the season series last season, and have won three in-a-row against the Hokies.

• The Terrapins are a formidable 30-10 all-time against Virginia Tech, winning 24 of the first 27 games in the series from 1926-2005. The teams have split the last 12 games, however, with the Hokies winning 4-of-6 during that span in Cassell Coliseum.

• The Terps snapped a two-game losing skid with a 74-71 home victory against Miami Wednesday. Maryland squandered a 10-point lead in the waning minutes, before junior Dez Wells saved the day with a game-winning 3-pointer with 5.9 seconds remaining.

• Maryland has shot over 48 percent in back-to-back games for the first time since 2011-12 when it shot 51 percent against both Samford and Albany. The Terps last accomplished the feat in ACC play during the 2010-11 season when they shot 58 percent against NC State (2/20) and 52 percent against Florida State (2/23).

• After picking up two early fouls and being relegated to the bench without taking a single shot in the first half, Dez Wells responded with an incredible 7-for-7 performance (6-for-6 FT’s) in the second half to the tune of 21 points. He is averaging a team-best 16.4 points on the road this season.

• Maryland also got strong production from its shooting forwards against Miami, as Evan Smotrycz and Jake Laymancombined for 30 points. Smotrycz is shooting 57 percent (12-for-21) over his last three games.

Wells Leads Terps Past Miami
Dez Wells scored all 21 of his points in the second half and drilled a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 5.9 seconds left to carry Maryland past Miami 74-71 Wednesday night.
Limited to five minutes of playing time in the first half after picking up two quick fouls, Wells went 7-for-7 from the floor and 6-for-6 at the foul line over the final 20 minutes.
The Terrapins blew a 10-point lead over the final 2:30 before Wells connected from the top of the key, breaking the deadlock.
Jake Layman and Evan Smotrycz each tallied 15 points for Maryland, which captured its fourth ACC win of the season. Maryland (12-9, 4-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) trailed 55-54 with 8:37 remaining before Wells scored 10 points during a 15-4 run.
The Terps shot 56 percent from the field, and 70 percent in a highly-effective second half. Smotrycz led the Terps with four assists.

Scouting Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech has lost seven consecutive ACC games since winning its conference-opening game against Miami on Dec. 8. The Hokies most recently fell to Boston College on Jan. 29, and have lost their last two games by a combined 44 points.
Senior forward Jarell Eddie leads the Hokies in both scoring (14.9/g) and rebounding (5.9/g), while shooting an ACC-best 42 percent from beyond-the-arc. Eddie scored 23 points and added 10 rebounds in a losing effort against Boston College.
Virginia Tech currently ranks second in the ACC in 3-point field goal percentage (.386) and fourth in blocks (5.1/g). The Hokies are last in the conference in steals (3.3/g) and turnover margin (-4.0).

Back to the ‘Wells’
Junior Dez Wells put on a show for the ages against Miami, scoring all 21 of his points in the second half on 7-for-7 shooting. Every shot Wells took went in the basket (6-for-6 FT’s), including the game-winner with 5.9 seconds remaining.
Wells got off to a slow start against the Hurricanes, as he picked up two fouls just 3:38 into the first half. The junior returned to the lineup for a brief 81 seconds before returning to the bench without attempting a shot.
After Miami tied the game at 71 with 19 seconds remaining, Wells dribelled up the court and then pulled up for a 3-point jumper with 5.9 seconds left to secure the victory.

Statistically Speaking

Junior Evan Smotrycz has regained his shooting stroke, shooting a cool 57 percent (70 percent from 3-pt range) on 12-of-21 shooting over the last three games. He shot 9-of-36 (25 percent) in the previous three games.

Sophomore Jake Layman has scored at least 15 points in back-to-back games for the first time since Marist (11/22) and Northern Iowa (11/24).

Dez Wells has scored in double-figures in 16 of his last 17 games, and is averaging 16.4 points over the last five games.

Maryland shot over 48 percent in back-to-back ACC games for the first time in three seasons, as it shot 48 percent against Pitt and 56 percent versus Miami.

The Terps are 9-1 when leading at the half, and also 9-1 when holding opponents under 70 points.

Turgeon Participates in Austism Awareness Day
Maryland head coach Mark Turgeon is one of nearly 100 men’s basketball coaches throughout the country that will be wearing the “Autism Speaks” pin on his suit jacket today in support ofAustism Awareness Day. Towson’s Pat Skerry and Marshall’s Tom Herrion, each who have sons on the autism spectrum, have started a nationwide campaign to raise awareness about this disease.

Maryland looks to end a two-game skid Wednesday night at 9 p.m. in Comcast Center as it takes on the Miami Hurricanes for the final time in ACC regular season play as head coach Mark Turgeon coaches his 500th career game (303-196, .607).

• The Terps have defeated Miami in three consecutive games at home, and are 5-1 all-time at home (4-1 in Comcast Center) against the Hurricanes. Miami won the inaugural ACC meeting, 75-73, in an overtime thriller on Feb. 5, 2005 in Coral Gables, Fla.

• Junior Dez Wells had a strong performance in his debut against Miami last season, posting 18 points (12 in the second half) on 7-of-11 shooting in the Terps’ 54-47 loss at the Bank United Center.

• Sophomore Jake Layman continues to shoot well in Comcast Center after an 18-point (7-of-12) display Saturday against No. 20 Pitt. He currently leads the team at home with 14.9 points/g on 51 percent shooting (50-for-99).

• The Terps are getting more consistent play at the point guard position as sophomore Seth Allen continues his steady return from a fractured left foot. Allen posted a season-high six assists against No. 20 Pitt, and has dished 15 assists and committed only four turnovers (3.75 ratio) in his last three games.

• The Terrapins have won eight of their last 12 home ACC contests, outscoring opponents by an average margin of 11.8 points in the victories. Maryland handily defeated Georgia Tech by a 16-point margin on Jan. 4, 77-61, before overcoming a nine-point halftime deficit to beat Notre Dame, 74-66, on Jan. 15.

No. 20 Pitt Holds Off Surging Terps
The 20th-ranked Pittsburgh Panthers relied on their inside game and the prowess of guard Lamar Patterson to squeeze out an 83-79 victory over Maryland Saturday at Comcast Center.
Patterson scored 28 points, and the Panthers used a 37-28 rebounding advantage and 32 free throws to earn the victory.
Dez Wells scored 19, Jake Layman had 18 and Nick Faust added 13 for the Terrapins. Maryland closed to 79-74 with 1:19 to go but couldn’t complete the comeback.
A 3-pointer by Faust and a three-point play by Layman cut it to 62-55 with 10:17 to go, but Patterson scored the game’s next three points and got an assist on a basket by Robinson to give the Panthers a 12-point lead with 8:39 remaining.

Scouting Miami
Miami rolls into College Park on a two-game slide after a pair of home losses to Duke and Syracuse. Sitting at 2-5 in the ACC (10-9 overall), the Hurricanes’ lone victories in conference play have come on the road (North Carolina and Georgia Tech).
The Hurricanes rank 10th nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 59.3 points per game. George Washington is the only team to score more than 70 points on Miami in regulation, defeating the Hurricanes, 71-63, in Anaheim, Calif.
Graduate forward Donnavan Kirk presents a menacing shot-blocking force inside, ranking third in the ACC (64th nationally) in blocked shots/g. Kirk is second on the team in both points (9.6/g) and rebounds (6.1/g).
Rion Brown leads the ‘Canes in both scoring (13.4/g) and rebounds (6.3/g).

Statistically Speaking
Sophomore Jake Layman is averaging a team-high 14.9 points on 51 percent shooting in home games.
Junior Dez Wells is a strong second half performer, averaging nearly four more points per game in the second half (8.9/g) than the first (5.7/g). He is shooting 48 percent from the field in the second half and 82 percent from the line.
The Terps are outrebounding opponents by an average of 7.3 boards in home games.
Maryland is 11-0 when leading with 5:00 to play and 8-1 when leading at halftime.
Maryland is 9-1 when holding opponents below 70 points.

What to Watch For
The Terps have taken much better care of the ball since sophomore Seth Allen reprised his role at point guard eight games ago. Allen posted a season-high six assists Saturday against No. 20 Pitt, and has dished 15 assists and committed only four turnovers in his last three games.
Maryland is looking to “rebound” from it’s worst rebounding performance of the season against Pitt Saturday (granted, both teams shot over 48 percent). Pitt out-rebounded the Terps by a nine-board margin, 37-28.
The Terrapins continue to develop their big men as they look for a consistent center in the post. Head coach Mark Turgeon has played his centers based on matchups, although sophomore Charles Mitchell ranks third in the ACC in offensive rebounds (3.0/g).

Terps in the Community
Despite their loss to Pitt Saturday, a number of Terrapin athletes were active in the local community the following Sunday.
Maryland big men Jon Graham, Charles Mitchell and Damonte Dodd attended the Knights of Columbus Free Throw Championship in Bowie, Md., as they cheered on and signed autographs for the youth.
Meanwhile, junior Jacob Suskkind attended Family Sports Night in Bethesda, Md., to share experiences and stories from the perspective of a Maryland student-athlete.

Maryland returns to Comcast Center Saturday night at 6:00 pm as it completes the second leg of a home-and-home series with Pittsburgh. The Terps are hosting Pitt in College Park for the first time since 1980 – a span of 34 years.

• The Terrapins have won eight of their last 11 home ACC contests, including their first two of the 2013-14 season. Maryland handily defeated Georgia Tech by a 16-point margin on Jan. 4, 77-61, before overcoming a nine-point halftime deficit to beat Notre Dame, 74-66, on Jan. 15.

• Maryland is 5-3 overall and 2-0 at home against Pittsburgh in a series that dates back to 1977. The Panthers defeated the Terps earlier this season on Jan. 6, 79-59, as they pulled away with 43 second half points. SophomoreSeth Allen had a team-high 18 points on 4-of-7 shooting from beyond-the-arc.

• Sophomore Charles Mitchell had a tremendous night on the glass in the Terps’ loss to NC State Monday, grabbing a career-high 18 rebounds (9 offensive). The mark is tied for the second-most in a single game among ACC players this season, and Mitchell is currently t-2nd in offensive rebounds (3.2/g) in the ACC.

• Comcast Center has been kind to sophomore Jake Layman, who is averaging a team-high 14.6 points in addition to 5.2 rebounds in nine games at home. He is shooting 49 percent (49-for-87) in Comcast, while averaging a team-high 31 minutes of action.

• Maryland is 11-0 when leading with 5:00 to play and 8-1 when leading at halftime. Additionally, the Terps are 9-0 when holding opponents below 40 percent shooting and 9-1 when holding opponents below 70 points.

Maryland Falls at NC State
Ralston Turner matched his career-high with 23 points, helping North Carolina State rally to beat Maryland 65-56 on Monday night.
Dez Wells and Evan Smotrycz each scored 10 for Maryland, which shot 31 percent for the game. Charles Mitchellfinished with eight points and a career-high 18 rebounds, including nine on the offensive end.
Desmond Lee added 14 points for the Wolfpack, who rallied from 11 down early in the second half to snap a three-game losing streak. NC State shot 57 percent after halftime, with Turner scoring 19 points and knocking down all five of his 3-pointers in the second half.
Maryland looked on its way to a second straight win when it took its biggest lead at 31-20 on Shaquille Cleare’s hook shot over Jordan Vandenberg 30 seconds into the second half.

Last Meeting
Pitt shot 53 percent from the floor to down Maryland, who was on the verge of moving to 3-0 in the ACC for the first time since 2001-02 by a score of 79-59.
Seth Allen and Evan Smotrycz led the way with 18 and 14 points respectively, but Lamar Patterson countered with a game-high 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting.
Pitt and Maryland battled back-and-forth in a tightly contested game during the early stages, as the Terps took a 28-25 lead on an Allen lay-up with 5:42 to play. The Panthers then flipped the script by taking an 11-2 run into the halftime break to take a 36-30 advantage.
Allen and Nick Faust combined for 18 points in the second half, but the Terps made just eight field goals on 29 percent shooting in the frame as Pitt pulled away for the win.

Statistically Speaking

Sophomore Jake Layman is averaging a team-high 14.6 points on 49 percent shooting in home games.

The Terps are outrebounding opponents by an average of 9.1 boards in home games.

Maryland is 11-0 when leading with 5:00 to play and 8-1 when leading at halftime.

Maryland is 9-1 when holding opponents below 70 points.

A Look Back: Jan. 12, 1980
In the last meeting between Maryland and Pitt in College Park, the Terrapins opened up a 17-point lead before eventually winning, 95-88, in front of 13,028 at Cole Field House.
The Terps moved to 11-2 on the young season as four players scored at least 20 points in the game, including Buck Williams (24 pts, 15 rebs), Albert King (23 pts), Greg Manning (22 pts) and Ernie Graham (20 pts, 7 rebs, 7 asts). Graham is the father of current Terrapin, Jon Graham.

Turgeon, Dixon Support Coaches vs. Cancer
Both Mark Turgeon and Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon will be wearing sneakers to show support for Coaches vs. Cancer – a joint effort of the American Cancery Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches that empowers basketball coaches to make a difference in the fight against cancer.
The annual Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Weekend runs from January 24-January 26.

Fresh off the heels of an important home victory against Notre Dame, Maryland returns to action Monday night at 9:00 pm as it takes on North Carolina State in PNC Arena. The meeting marks the final regular season contest between the teams as ACC counterparts.

• The Terrapins have defeated NC State in 10 of their last 11 meetings, and hold a narrow 77-73 advantage in an all-time series that dates back to 1925. Maryland is 63-49 against the Wolfpack in ACC play, winning 26 of the last 32 meetings since 1995.

• Maryland snapped a two-game skid with a 74-66 victory against Notre Dame last Wednesday, as it clawed back from a nine-point halftime deficit. Maryland opened the second half on a 14-2 run, holding the Irish scoreless for the first 6:46.

• The Notre Dame game was a tale of two halves for junior Dez Wells, who answered an 0-for-6 first half (zero points) by tallying 17 points in the second frame. Wells carried the Terps in the second half by shooting 3-of-4 and knocking down a career-high 11 free throws to close the game.

• Wells is averaging 18.0 points on 56 percent shooting through four road games this season, including a career-high 33 points at Boston College in the Terps’ ACC opener on Dec. 12. The production is in line with his road performances last season, when he averaged 15.8 points on 56 percent shooting in 11 contests.

• Maryland is 9-0 when holding opponents under 70 points and 8-0 when it leads at the half. Additionally, the Terps are 9-0 when opponents shoot less than 40 percent.

Terps Rally Past Notre Dame
Dez Wells posted 17 second half points, Seth Allen had 14 points and four assists and Nick Faust added 13 as the Maryland men’s basketball team rallied for 74-66 victory over Notre Dame Wednesday night at Comcast Center.
Wells and the Terrapins used a strong second half to climb back over .500 in Atlantic Coast Conference play (3-2).
Charles Mitchell came off the bench to score 10 points on 5-of-10 shooting and added seven rebounds (six offensive). Maryland trailed by as many as 12 points, but made a 14-2 run to open the second half.
Maryland finished with 23 points off the bench to hand Notre Dame (10-7, 1-3) its third straight defeat. The Irish opened the second half by going scoreless for 6½ minutes.

Final ACC Meeting: Revisiting Game No. 1
The Terps and Wolfpack are meeting for the final time in regular season ACC play tonight. The teams have met every season since 1955, as Maryland holds a 62-47 all-time record in ACC play.
Maryland and NC State began their ACC rivalry with a highly-anticipated matchup at Ritchie Coliseum in College Park, Md. on Jan. 13, 1955. Due to seating limitations, more than 2,000 fans were turned away from the doors as the then-No. 2 Wolfpack (14-1) were set to take on the then-No. 11 Terrapins (11-2).
With the score tied 61-61 and less than four minutes remaining, the Terps used a Bob Kessler lay-in to take the lead. Bob O’Brien then knocked down a 35-foot jumper to send the crowd into a frenzy as the Terps held on for the win, 68-64. Kessler finished with a game-high 26 points in the marquee victory.

Sophomore Seth Allen has scored double-figures in 4-of-6 games since returning from injury, and had a season-high five rebounds versus Notre Dame.

Maryland is 8-0 when leading at the half.

Maryland is 9-0 when opponents shoot below 40 percent

Maryland is 9-0 when holding opponents below 70 points.

Maryland is 10-3 when outrebounding opponents.

Last Time: Buzzer-Beating Thriller
Alex Len dropped in a missed shot by teammate Pe’Shon Howard with 00.9 seconds left, giving the Terrapins a 51-50 upset victory over No. 14 North Carolina State in the teams’ lone meeting last season on Jan. 16, 2013.
Howard drove the left side and came up short on a 5-footer, but the 7-foot-1 Len grabbed the ball in front of the rim and eased it through the hoop. NC State’s last second heave fell short as the Terps won.
Len, with 10 points, was the only Terrapin to score in double figures. Maryland led for much of the game but needed Len’s basket to end NC State’s 10-game winning streak.
Coming off a stunning upset of then-No. 1 Duke, the Wolfpack trailed by 10 points with 9:34 left. Brown hit a jumper with 1:41 remaining to put North Carolina State up 50-49, and neither team scored again until Len’s game-winner.

Maryland returns to the friendly confines of Comcast Center after a two-game road trip as it welcomes new ACC foe Notre Dame for a 7 p.m. tip on ESPN2. The Terps have lost back-to-back ACC contests since beginning the season 2-0 for the first time since 2002-03.

Watch: ESPN2 – Bob Wischusen (Play-by-Play), LaPhonso Ellis (Analyst)

Storylines

• The Terrapins last hosted the Fighting Irish on Dec. 31, 1986, when Notre Dame took adavantage of a hobbled Derrick Lewis to earn a 63-50 victory in Cole Field House. Maryland is 9-10 all-time against Notre Dame, and 4-3 at home.

• Maryland has won eight of its last 11 ACC contests at Comcast Center, winning by an average margin of 13.5 points in the victories. The mark includes a 77-61 drubbing of Georgia Tech in the the Terps’ ACC home opener on Jan. 4, when Nick Faust and Evan Smotrycz combined for 30 points on 12-of-17 shooting.

• Junior Dez Wells had one of his most memorable collegiate games when he helped lead Xavier to the third round of the NCAA Tournament with a 67-63 defeat of Notre Dame on Mar. 17, 2012. Wells had 14 points in the effort, in addition to what still stands as his career-high with 11 rebounds.

• The Terrapins are 8-0 this season when holding opponents under 70 points and 9-0 when holding opponents to under 40 percent from the field. Additionally, they are 8-0 when leading at the half and 10-1 when shooting a higher field goal percentage than their oppoent.

• Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey is a native of Rockville, Md. and graduated from nearby DeMatha Catholic High School, where he also began his coaching career as an assistant.

Despite making just 10-of-50 3-point attempts in its previous four games, the Seminoles caught fire against the Terps as they knocked down 16-of-24 attempts beyond-the-arc. The 16 3-pointers were the most by Florida State in its history of ACC play. The Seminoles entered the game shooting 31.2 percent from three-point range and ranked No. 13 in the ACC.

Faust turned in a strong effort for the Terps, connecting on 5-of-7 shots (2-of-4 from 3-pt) to the tune of 14 points.

Maryland also set a season-high with 24 made free throws, including nine from Wells and five from Jake Layman.

Scouting Notre Dame

The Fighting Irish are off to a 1-2 start in their first season of ACC play, falling to NC State and Georgia Tech in consecutive games. Notre Dame made a splash in its ACC opener, however, knocking off Duke, 79-77.

Among common opponents, Notre Dame lost to Georgia Tech, who the Terps defeated on Jan. 4, 77-61.

Notre Dame possesses a strong post player in 6-11 center Garrick Sherman, who currently leads the ACC in double-doubles (5). The big man leads the Irish in both points (14.8/g) and rebounds (8.6/g).

The Terps will also have to key in on junior sharpshooter Pat Connaughton, who ranks third in the ACC in 3-point field goal percentage (.421) and 3-point field goals per game (2.50).

Statistically Speaking

Five Terrapins are averaging double-figure scoring totals at home. Jake Layman leads the way with 15.4 points on 50 percent shooting (40-80) from the field.

Dez Wells has scored double-figures in seven consecutive home games, while Nick Faust is on a four-game streak. Roddy Peters has dished eight assists and commited only four turnovers in his last three home games.

Maryland is 9-3 when outrebounding opponents. (see pg. 29 for a complete list of tendencies)

Notre Dame: A Series History

The Terrapins snapped a two-game losing streak to Notre Dame when they defeated the Irish 78-71 in the BB&T Classic at Verizon Center on Dec. 4, 2011. Terrell Stoglin posted 31 points in the effort, while James Padgett posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Current Terp Nick Faust had just three points in 29 minutes, while Eric Atkins had 16 points on 5-of-16 shooting for the Irish.

Notre Dame holds a narrow 10-9 advantage in an all-time series that dates back to 1975. The last four meetings between the teams were on neutral courts — including three games in the BB&T Classic.

The Irish defeated the Terps 63-50 in the last meeting in College Park between the teams on Dec. 31, 1986. Maryland’s star center Derrick Lewis went down with an ankle injury in the first half and Notre Dame pulled away. John Johnson had 15 points for the Terps.

“Wait, Drew, didn’t Maryland just get their doors blown off last night? How can Turgeon be charmed?” you’re asking.

Turgeon is indeed living a charmed life. If not for Maryland having to cough up $50 million to join the Big Ten — hence, the Athletic Department, like the school, is broke – the Terps might very well be in the beginning stages of a coaching search.

Maryland didn’t lose 85-61 to Florida State last night. They got smashed 85-61. It wasn’t pretty. Worse than that, actually. Honestly, there are Old Mill High School cheerleaders better looking than the Terps were last night.

I’m not telling you anything new if you’ve watched them play — and I’m also not trying to pile on — but this is starting to get seriously concerning at College Park. I said from the day Gary Williams left that the first guy in after him would have a tough time of it. Yes, I know Maryland flirted with Arizona’s Sean Miller before hiring Turgeon, but it might be a good thing that Miller wasn’t first in after Williams departed. I think the Terps would be better with Miller, yes, but be very careful of that “first person in after the legend leaves” stuff because it’s very real.

Turgeon’s era at College Park would really be in jeopardy if not for the aforementioned check of blood money owed to the ACC. As it is, now, he’s likely safe no matter what the Terps do. They simply can’t afford to jettison a guy who still has five years left on his contract, not to mention $10 million or so in guaranteed money.

The black marks against Turgeon extend past the team’s record on the court. He’s the guy who hired Assistant Coach Dalonte Hill, a highly sought ofter basketball lifer most recently from the Kansas State program. Hill came along with a list of question marks but Turgeon needed him for a boost in local recruiting and the reputation that Maryland was “back” on the national scene after a sluggish final five years in the Gary Williams era. Hill is no longer with the program after a DUI arrest in 2013.

Last night’s drubbing in Tallahassee was way too familiar. The team’s two de facto big men, Mitchell and Cleare, teamed up for a total of 3 points on the night. Florida State took advantage of Maryland’s lack of defensive focus to light it up from outside the arc and the Terps either, A) never figured it out — B) figured it out but didn’t know how to change their defense to stop it — C) the players were told how to adjust to it but just didn’t care enough to put out the required energy to do it. Good defense — in any sport — is 90% effort. You have to be willing to bust your hump more than you even thought you could in order to play really good defense. I don’t see that kind of effort from Maryland. Not even close.

There’s more, but I have other stuff to cover here.

Just know this much — the seat at College Park would really be hot on Turgeon’s tush if not for the Big Ten transfer fee.

As it is, he’s not going anywhere soon.

And, it would appear, neither is Maryland basketball.

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Here’s the one thing about Sunday’s AFC title game that should drive you nuts this week.

No matter who wins, either Tom Brady or Peyton Manning will be playing in the Super Bowl on February 2nd.

As a guy covering the big game from New York all week as we continue our tradition of broadcasting live from Super Bowl’s Radio Row, I’m just thrilled beyond belief at the thought of talking about Manning or Brady for five straight days.

OK, I’m not at all thrilled about it, but it is what it is.

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Boy, have two men ever been a better fit for one another than Anthony Bosch and Alex Rodriguez?

Bosch was on 60 Minutes last night and completely sold me on what I already suspected: He’s a derelict. Throughout the interview he was fidgety, stuttered and stammered, and looked more like a drug dealer than a nutritionist.

Rodriguez is a cheater and so is Bosch. He admitted to 60 Minutes he was well aware that his work with A-Rod was “beating the system” and that he didn’t really care. A-Rod certainly didn’t care that what he was doing was wrong.

• The Terrapins and Seminoles have met every season since the series began in 1992, with Maryland holding a formidable 29-13 all-time advantage (10-9 on the road). Maryland won 15-of-16 meetings from Feb. 13, 1997 – Jan. 14, 2001.

• Sophomore Seth Allen shined in the Terps’ loss at Pittsburgh, shooting 4-of-7 from beyond the arc for a season-high 18 points. Since returning from a fractured left foot against Tulsa on Dec. 29, Allen has sparked Maryland with 12.3 points/g on 52 percent shooting from 3-point range.

• Junior guard Nick Faust has the most experience among current Terrapins against Florida State, averaging 10.7 points on 12-of-24 (.500) shooting in three career games. Dez Wells had 19 points in the teams’ last meeting on Jan. 30, 2013, while Charles Mitchell posted 10 points in 14 minutes.

• Transfer Evan Smotrycz has posted 14 points in back-to-back games, and is currently averaging 12.3 points through three ACC games (12.4/g overall). The junior is currently tied for second in the ACC with three double-doubles on the season.

• The Terps turned in their most efficient game of the season against Georgia Tech on Jan. 4, registering 16 assists against a season-low six turnovers. It was the least amount of turnovers for Maryland since March 21, 2010 against Michigan State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Maryland Falls to Pitt
Sophomore Seth Allen had a season-high 18 points and Evan Smotrycz added 14 as Maryland fell to Pittsburgh 79-59 on Jan. 6.
The Panthers (14-1, 2-0) shot 53 percent from the floor and pulled away from the Terrapins, who dropped their first ACC game of the season. Allen led Maryland (10-6, 2-1) but the Terrapins couldn’t keep up with the Panthers.
Durand Johnson keyed a late first-half surge that put Pitt in front and kept it going in the second half. The Panthers used a 15-7 burst to build a 13-point lead, then pulled away.
The Terrapins were looking for their first 3-0 start in ACC play since 2002, when they went on to win the national title behind Juan Dixon and Steve Blake.

Scouting Florida State
The Seminoles won their first conference game of the season Thursday night with a 56-41 road victory at Clemson. Florida State forced 18 turnovers and Clemson shot just 30 percent from the field as Ian Miller led all scorers with 15 points and five assists.
With Thursday’s win at Clemson, the ‘Noles have now won four of their last five contests, including a 60-55 victory over nationally-ranked Massachusetts on Dec. 21. FSU’s only loss during the span came in its ACC home opener against Virginia, 62-50.
Similar to the Terps, Florida State spreads the ball offensively with four players averaging at least 9.0 points/g, led by Miller (13.5/g). Okaro White, who has three double-doubles on the season, leads the team with 6.5 rebounds/g. Meanwhile, Aaron Thomas is third in the ACC in steals (2.21/g) and Boris Bojanovsky is third in blocks (2.14/g).

By the Numbers:

Evan Smotrycz has scored 14 points in back-to-back games, and has notched double-figures in four of his last five games.

Seth Allen has notched double-digit scoring totals in three-of-four games since returning from injury, and played a season-high 26 minutes at Pitt.

Both Nick Faust and Jake Layman were held without a 3-point field goal for the first time all season at Pitt. Faust was riding a streak of eight straight games, while Layman’s streak was snapped at seven.

Junior Jon Graham led the Terps in rebounds (5) at Pitt in just 12 minutes of action.

Maryland is 8-0 when leading at the half.

Maryland is 9-0 when opponents shoot below 40 percent.

Terps Cruise Past Georgia Tech
The Terrapins had four players score in double figures in Maryland’s 77-61 victory over Georgia Tech on Jan. 4 to move to 2-0 in the ACC for the first time since the 2002-03 season. They had 16 assists compared with only six turnovers, and nine players received significant playing time.
Maryland never trailed while launching the home portion of its final trip through the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Nick Faust scored 16, Evan Smotrycz contributed 14 points, Dez Wells added 11 and Charles Mitchell collected 11 rebounds for the Terrapins (10-5, 2-0).
In defeating Georgia Tech for the seventh-straight time at home, Maryland built a double-digit lead in the opening four minutes, upped the margin to 20 early in the second half and coasted to the finish.

Coaches: Pitt: Jamie Dixon, 15th year at Pitt, 11th year as head coach (275-87); Maryland: Mark Turgeon, 3rd year at UM (52-33), 16th year overall (302-192).

Rankings: Pitt: AP-ARV; USA Today-ARV; Maryland: AP-NR; USA Today-NR.

Series: Pitt and Maryland meet for the eighth time in school history. Maryland holds a 5-2 advantage in the series which began on Feb. 15, 1977. The last time the two teams met was on Nov. 18, 2010 in the 2K Sports/Coaches vs. Cancer Classic at Madison Square Garden, a 79-70 Pitt win. Pitt has hosted Maryland on two different occasions: Feb. 11, 1978 (89-86 Pitt win in OT) and on Jan. 27, 1981 (69-66 UM win in OT). Both were played at Civic Arena.

GAME PREVIEW

PITTSBURGH–Pitt (13-1, 1-0 ACC) plays its first-ever Atlantic Coast Conference men’s basketball game at home when it hosts Maryland (10-5, 2-0 ACC) for a Monday, January 6 contest at the Petersen Events Center. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. ET.

The game will be nationally televised on ESPNU with Bob Picozzi (play-by-play) and Kara Lawson (color analysis) making the call. Matthew Bartley will handle production. The broadcast was moved to ESPNU to accommodate coverage of the FBS national championship game on ESPN2.

Pitt has won its 13 games by an average of 17.9 points per game margin, all 13 wins have come by nine or more points and 10 of its 13 by 17 points or more. Offensively, the Panthers are averaging 76.7 points per game, converting 48.0 percent (379-789) of field goals, 33.0 percent (69-209) of 3-point field goals and an amazing school-record pace of 74.6 percent (247-331) of free throw attempts. Pitt is also outrebounding its opponents by a sizable plus-9.2 margin. Defensively, Pitt is holding its opponents to 58.9 points per game and yielding a 39.5 percent (295-747) field goal percentage. Thirteen of Pitt’s 14 opponents have been held to 70 points or less and eight have scored 60 points or less.

Pitt is 9-0 at home this year, on an 11-game home win streak and 19-game consecutive win streak against non-conference opponents at home. Pitt also owns a 110-3 record vs. non-conference opponents at the Petersen Events Center and has won 131 of its last 135 home games against regular season non-conference opponents.

Pitt hosts Maryland, its second ACC opponent, after registering a 74-62 victory at North Carolina State on Saturday in Raleigh, N.C. The Panthers battled all the way back from an early 17-2 first half deficit to win by 12 points. In the second half, Pitt used 63 percent shooting (17-27) and hit 11-13 free throws in taking control. During a decisive seven-minute stretch after halftime, Pitt converted on 12 of its 13 possessions and outscored NC State 24-6. Lamar Patterson led Pitt with 22 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Talib Zanna added 15 points and nine rebounds and freshman Michael Young contributed a career-high 13 points. Patterson (17) and Zanna (nine) combined to score 26 of their 37 points in the second half.

Maryland (10-5, 2-0 ACC) is on a three-game win streak after consecutive wins over Tulsa, North Carolina Central and Georgia Tech. Head coach Mark Turgeon’s Terrapins are led by four players in double figure scoring including Dez Wells (15.0 ppg./5.3 rpg.), Jake Layman (13.7 ppg./5.1 rpg.), Evan Smotrycz (12.3 ppg./6.9 rpg.) and Nick Faust (10.4 ppg.). This marks Maryland’s third ACC game as it has defeated both Boston College (88-80 on Dec. 12) and Georgia Tech (77-61 on Jan. 4).

MONDAY’S TOP STORYLINES

•Pitt plays its first-ever Atlantic Coast Conference home game when it hosts Maryland on Monday, Jan. 6 at the Petersen Events Center.

•With its 13-1 record, Pitt has currently amassed the second most wins in the ACC.

•With a 9-0 home record and currently on an 11-game home win streak, Pitt is in its 12th season at the Petersen Events Center and carries a 189-22 record (.896) in the arena. The Panthers have won 95 of their last 107 home games and 38 of their last 48 conference home games.